Switch terminal



Mv. 13, 1923. www@ H. D. JAMES SWITCH TERMINAL Filed April 9, 1919"Mauri" l WITNESSES: INVENTOR ,/{47 Hen/y 0. James ATORNEY Patented Notalli, "i923,

VANIA.

SNTCH TERMINAL.

Application filed April. 9,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HENRY D. Jarras, a citizen' of the United States,and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SwitchTerminals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controllers for electric motors and particularlyto controllers that are employed in connection with motors requiringheavy currents in starting under load.

The object of my invention is to provide a controller of the abovedesignated character with the use of which it shall not be possible forthe operator to come accidentally into contact with live parts.

According to my invention, the contactbearing members of the controllerare mounted upon insulating supports. Conductors are connected directlyto the contact members and to terminal members which are mounted ininsulating plates that bridge openings in the controller casing. Theplates and the terminal members are Y enclosed within housings that areremovably mounted upon the controller casing.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly inelevation, of a controller constructed in accordance with my invention.Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

My invention is herein illustrated as applied to a controllerconstituting the subject-matter of my copending application Serial No.97,8119, tiled May 16, 1916. The controller casing comprises astationary part 2 and a detachable part 3 for enclosing the switchmechanism. The part 3 which, in the present invention, is adapted foruse in connection with high-voltage circuits, constitutes, a tank foroil and is removably secured to the stationary part 2 by-means oflatching mechanisms 4t. The casing further comprises a removable covermember 5 which is loosely hinged to the member 3 by means of mutuallyengaging hook portions and latching mechanisms (not shown).

rlhe switch mechanism comprises two rows of stationary contact members 7that are mounted upon, and insulated from, support-ing bars 8. Acorresponding number isis. serial no. aeafo.

ofpairs of oppositely disposed movable contact members 9 are mountedupon, and insulated from, a rocking shaft 16. The respective Contactmembers 9 are pivotally supported by pins 11 and the members of eachpair are yieldingly retained in the relative positions, illustrated inFig. 2, by means of coil springs 12. The several groups of tto-actingmovable and stationary contact members are separated by insulatingbarriers 16.

rllhe switching mechanism is controlled by an operating handle (notshown) that is located outside the casing and is normally retained inits neutral position by a centering device 21 which comprisesl astationary pin 22, two oppositely disposed curved arms 23 that arepivotally supported by the shaft 10, a spring 24, which resists theseparation of the arms and a pin 25 that is mounted upon arm 26. The arm26 is secured to the shaft 10 and extends upwardly therefrom. Means areprovided also for insuring that the operating handle may be moved in onedirection only from its neutral position. The said means comprises apivotally mounted latching member 27 having operating characteristicssimilar to those described in my abovementioned application.

The contact members 7 are secured to members that are mounted upon, andinsulated from, the supporting bars 8. Conductors 53 are directlyconnected to thc Contact members 7 and to terminal members that aremounted in, and extend through, insulating plates 55 and 56. The plateis mounted within an opening 57 in the wall of the stationary part 2 andthe plate 56 is mounted adjacent to the plate 55, and is secured to thewall of the stationary part 2 by bolts 5S. Additional insulating platemembers 59, that are provided with semi-circular 'openings 60, aresecured to the insulating plate members 56 by screws 61. Terminalmembers 63 are connected to the exterior ends of the terminal members54; and are connected to outside conductors` 64; that entend within thesemi-circular openings in the insulating plate members and similarsemi-circular openings 65 in insulating plate members 66 that aresimilar to the plate members 59 in all respects save that, instead ofbeing secured to the plate members 56, they are secured to an additionalhousing member 67 which may be *fastened to the Wall oit the part 2 byscrews 68. The `plate member (3G maybe secured to the member 67 byscrews 69.

The conductors are thus secured to the terminal members 54, which areinsu` lated .trom the metallic casing part 2. The conductors 64 areconnected. through the terminal members 63, to the terminal meinbers 54in a manner which avoids the possibility i the operator comingaccidentally into contact either with the terminal members 63 or theterminal members As the plate members 56, 59 and 66 are all ofinsulating material, the housing member 67 nia-y, if desired, be ofmetal. By unscreiving the screivs 68, the housing member 67, togetherwith the plate member 66, may

berremoved to expose the interior parts to view.

An additional housing member 70, with members which it protects similarto those protected by the housing member 67, and

` which are similarly designated by relierence numerals, is provided sothat other contact members may be connected in similar fashion to thatalready described. Provision is thus made for connecting the lineconductors andthe motor conductors to the desired contact members,independently of each other.

M any modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and areintended to be 3f `covered by the appended claims.

'I claim ask my invention:

l. In a controller, a casing for housing the controller parts, aconductor terminal extending through a wall ot said casing, an auxiliarycasing mounted upon said firstnamed casing and enclosing said terminal,said auxiliary casing having complementary semi-circular openings inadjacent portions thereoi', and a conductor extending through saidsemi-circular openings and connected to Said terminal.

2. In a cont-roller, a metal casing provided With an opening, aninsulating plate bridging said opening, a conductor tei-ininal extendingthrough saidplate, an auxiliary casing mounted upon said metal casingand enclosing' said terminal, said auxiliary casing comprisingcompleii'ientary members each having a semi-circular opening,A and aconductor extending through said semi-circular openings and Vconnectedto said terminal.

8. In a controller, a casing provided with an opening, an insulatingplate bridging said opening, a conductor terminal mounted in said`plate, an insulating plate having a semi-circular opening secured tosaid `first-named plate, a casing member removably secured to saidcasing and enclosing said tiret-named plate, an insulating plate havinga semi-circular opening complementary to said rst named semi-circularopen-Y ing, and a conductor connected to said terminal 4and extendingthrough said semicircular` openings. Y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st dayof M arch 1919.

HENRY D. JAMES.

